}}{{tnr}}'''Sheldon Whitehouse''' (b. October 20, 1955, in New York, [[New York]]) is a [[Democratic]] member of the [[United States Senate|U.S. Senate]] from the state of [[Rhode Island]]. Whitehouse was first elected to the Senate in 2006 and assumed office January 3, 2007. He is currently serving his second consecutive term in the U.S. Senate, having won re-election in 2012.<ref>[http://wrnipoliticsblog.wordpress.com/2011/01/31/whitehouse-kicks-off-2012-reelection-campaign-money-chase/ ''WRNI Politics Blog'' "Whitehouse kicks off 2012 reelection campaign money chase," January 31, 2012]</ref><ref>[http://www.golocalprov.com/politics/senate-battle-heats-up-hinckley-blasts-whitehouse/ ''Go Local Providence'' "Senate Battle Heats Up: Hinckley Blasts Whitehouse," Accessed February 18, 2012]</ref> He defeated B. Barrett Hinckley, III (R) and various write-in challengers in the general election on [[United States Senate elections in Rhode Island, 2012|November 6, 2012]].

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}}{{tnr}}'''Sheldon Whitehouse''' (b. October 20, 1955, in New York, [[New York]]) is a [[Democratic]] member of the [[United States Senate|U.S. Senate]] from the state of [[Rhode Island]]. Whitehouse was first elected to the Senate in 2006 and assumed office on January 3, 2007. He is currently serving his second consecutive term in the U.S. Senate, having won re-election in 2012.<ref>[http://wrnipoliticsblog.wordpress.com/2011/01/31/whitehouse-kicks-off-2012-reelection-campaign-money-chase/ ''WRNI Politics Blog'' "Whitehouse kicks off 2012 re-election campaign money chase," January 31, 2012]</ref><ref>[http://www.golocalprov.com/politics/senate-battle-heats-up-hinckley-blasts-whitehouse/ ''Go Local Providence'' "Senate Battle Heats Up: Hinckley Blasts Whitehouse," Accessed February 18, 2012]</ref> He defeated B. Barrett Hinckley, III (R) and various write-in challengers in the general election on [[United States Senate elections in Rhode Island, 2012|November 6, 2012]].

Before becoming a U.S. Senator, Whitehouse served one term as [[Attorney General of Rhode Island|state attorney general]] for [[Rhode Island]].

Before becoming a U.S. Senator, Whitehouse served one term as [[Attorney General of Rhode Island|state attorney general]] for [[Rhode Island]].

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Whitehouse's current term expires on January 3, 2019 and he will next come up for re-election in 2018.

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Whitehouse's current term expires on January 3, 2019, and he will next come up for re-election in 2018.

{{Support vote}} Whitehouse voted for the confirmation of John Brennan as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. The nomination was confirmed by the Senate on March 7, 2013, with a vote of 63 - 34. Most Democrats supported the nomination, while Republicans were somewhat divided with roughly one-third supporting the nomination.<ref name="votes">[http://votesmart.org/candidate/key-votes/2572/sheldon-whitehouse#.UmBw8VN0I7I ''Project Votesmart,'' "Sheldon Whitehouse Key Votes," accessed October 17, 2013]</ref>

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====Economy====

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=====Government shutdown=====

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:: ''See also: [[United States budget debate, 2013]]''

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{{Support vote}} During the shutdown in October 2013, the [[United States Senate|Senate]] rejected, down party lines, every House-originated bill that stripped the budget of funding for the Affordable Care Act. A deal was reached late on October 16, 2013, just hours before the debt ceiling deadline. The bill to reopen the government, H.R. 2775, lifted the $16.7 trillion debt limit and funds the government through January 15, 2014. Federal employees also received retroactive pay for the shutdown period. The only concession made by [[United States Senate|Senate Democrats]] was to require income verification for Obamacare subsidies.<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/house-effort-to-end-fiscal-crisis-collapses-leaving-senate-to-forge-last-minute-solution/2013/10/16/1e8bb150-364d-11e3-be86-6aeaa439845b_story_1.html ''The Washington Post'', "Reid, McConnell propose bipartisan Senate bill to end shutdown, extend borrowing," accessed October 16, 2013]</ref> The final vote on H.R. 2775 was 81-18, with all 18 votes against the bill from [[Republican]] members. Whitehouse voted with the [[Democratic Party]] for the bill.<ref>[http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=113&session=1&vote=00219#top ''Senate.gov,'' "H.R. 2775 As Amended," accessed October 31, 2013]</ref>

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=====No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013=====

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{{Support vote}} Whitehouse voted for H.R.325 -- No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013. The bill passed the Senate on January 31, 2013, with a vote of 64 - 34. The purpose of the bill was to temporarily suspended the debt ceiling and withhold the pay of members of Congress until a budget could be passed. The vote largely followed party lines with Democrats overwhelmingly supporting it and many Republicans in opposition to the bill.<ref name="votes"/>

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=====2013 Senate Budget Proposal=====

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{{Support vote}} Whitehouse voted for the 2013 [[United States Senate|Senate]] Budget Proposal.<ref name="votes"/> On March 23, after an all-night debate that ended just before 5 a.m., by a 50 to 49 vote the Democratically controlled Senate approved its first budget in four years. No Republicans voted for the Senate plan, and four Democrats opposed it. All four are from red states and are up for re-election in 2014. Whitehouse was one of the four Democrats who voted against the budget proposal.<ref name="votes"/>

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The approved plan is a $3.7 trillion budget for 2014 and would provide a fast track for passage of tax increases, trim spending modestly and leave the government still deeply in the red for the next decade.

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The approval of a budget in the Senate began the process of setting up contentious, and potentially fruitless, negotiations with the Republican-controlled House starting in April to reconcile two vastly different plans for dealing with the nation’s economic and budgetary problems.

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The House plan would have brought the government’s taxes and spending into balance by 2023 with cuts to domestic spending even below the levels of automatic across-the-board cuts for federal programs now, and it orders up dramatic and controversial changes to Medicare and the tax code.

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The Senate plan differed greatly, and included $100 billion in upfront infrastructure spending to bolster the economy and calls for special fast-track rules to overhaul the tax code and raise $975 billion over 10 years in legislation that could not be filibustered. Even with that tax increase and prescribed spending cuts, the plan approved by the Senate would leave the government with a $566 billion annual deficit in 10 years, and $5.2 trillion in additional debt over that window.

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====Immigration====

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=====Mexico-U.S. border=====

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{{Oppose vote}} Whitehouse voted against Senate Amendment 1197 -- Requires the Completion of the Fence Along the United States-Mexico Border. The amendment was rejected by the Senate on June 18, 2013, with a vote of 39 - 54. The purpose of the amendment was to require the completion of 350 miles of fence described in the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 before registered provisional immigrant status may be granted. It would also require 700 miles of fence be completed before the status of registered provisional immigrants may be changed to permanent resident status. The vote followed party lines.<ref name="votes"/>

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====Social Issues====

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=====Violence Against Women (2013)=====

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{{Support vote}} Whitehouse voted for S.47 -- Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013. The bill was passed by the Senate on February 12, 2013, with a vote of 78 - 22. The purpose of the bill was to combat violence against women, from domestic violence to international trafficking in persons. All 22 dissenting votes were cast by Republicans.<ref name="votes"/>

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====Previous congressional sessions====

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=====Fiscal Cliff=====

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{{Support vote}} Whitehouse voted for the fiscal cliff compromise bill, which made permanent most of the Bush tax cuts originally passed in 2001 and 2003 while also raising tax rates on the highest income levels. The bill was passed in the Senate by a 89 - 8 vote on January 1, 2013.<ref>[http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=112&session=2&vote=00251 ''U.S. Senate'' "Roll Call Vote on the Fiscal Cliff" Accessed January 4, 2013.]</ref>

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===Senate Judiciary Committee===

Sheldon Whitehouse was first appointed to the Senate Judiciary Committee shortly after he was sworn into the Senate in 2007<ref>[http://judiciary.senate.gov/about/PreviousCommitteeMembership.cfm "Senate Judiciary Committee" List of past members]</ref>.

Sheldon Whitehouse was first appointed to the Senate Judiciary Committee shortly after he was sworn into the Senate in 2007<ref>[http://judiciary.senate.gov/about/PreviousCommitteeMembership.cfm "Senate Judiciary Committee" List of past members]</ref>.

Senator Whitehouse is the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Courts. In addition, Senator Whitehouse serves on the Senate Judiciary Subcommittees on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights, The Constitution, Immigration, and Refugees and Border Security<ref>[http://judiciary.senate.gov/about/subcommittees/index.cfm "Senate Judiciary Committee" List of Subcommittees]</ref>

Senator Whitehouse is the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Courts. In addition, Senator Whitehouse serves on the Senate Judiciary Subcommittees on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights, The Constitution, Immigration, and Refugees and Border Security<ref>[http://judiciary.senate.gov/about/subcommittees/index.cfm "Senate Judiciary Committee" List of Subcommittees]</ref>

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===2012 Campaign themes===

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===Campaign themes===

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====2012====

According to Sheldon Whitehouse's website, his campaign themes included:

According to Sheldon Whitehouse's website, his campaign themes included:

* Jobs; "...focused on creating Rhode Island's clean energy jobs of the future, and has introduced a bill to end corporate tax breaks companies receive when they ship jobs overseas."

* Jobs; "...focused on creating Rhode Island's clean energy jobs of the future, and has introduced a bill to end corporate tax breaks companies receive when they ship jobs overseas."

* Seniors; "...a co-founder of the Defend Social Security Caucus, he will always fight against attempts to risk Social Security on Wall Street."

* Seniors; "...a co-founder of the Defend Social Security Caucus, he will always fight against attempts to risk Social Security on Wall Street."

* Siding with Consumers and Homeowners; "...supporting legislation to give homeowners more leverage to renegotiate mortgages and standing up for consumers victimized when credit card companies raise interest rates through the roof."<ref>[http://www.whitehouseforsenate.com/issues ''Whitehouse for Senate'', "Issues," Accessed August 28, 2012]</ref>

* Siding with Consumers and Homeowners; "...supporting legislation to give homeowners more leverage to renegotiate mortgages and standing up for consumers victimized when credit card companies raise interest rates through the roof."<ref>[http://www.whitehouseforsenate.com/issues ''Whitehouse for Senate'', "Issues," Accessed August 28, 2012]</ref>

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===Fiscal Cliff===

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{{Support vote}}

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Whitehouse voted for the fiscal cliff compromise bill, which made permanent most of the Bush tax cuts originally passed in 2001 and 2003 while also raising tax rates on the highest income levels. The bill was passed in the Senate by a 89 - 8 vote on January 1, 2013.<ref>[http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=112&session=2&vote=00251 ''U.S. Senate'' "Roll Call Vote on the Fiscal Cliff" Accessed January 4, 2013.]</ref>

==Elections==

==Elections==

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====Cost per vote====

====Cost per vote====

Whitehouse spent $18.20 per vote received in 2012.

Whitehouse spent $18.20 per vote received in 2012.

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{{Congress donor box 2012

{{Congress donor box 2012

|winner = Y

|winner = Y

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:''All stories may not be relevant to this page due to the nature of the search engine.''

:''All stories may not be relevant to this page due to the nature of the search engine.''

Sheldon Whitehouse (b. October 20, 1955, in New York, New York) is a Democratic member of the U.S. Senate from the state of Rhode Island. Whitehouse was first elected to the Senate in 2006 and assumed office on January 3, 2007. He is currently serving his second consecutive term in the U.S. Senate, having won re-election in 2012.[1][2] He defeated B. Barrett Hinckley, III (R) and various write-in challengers in the general election on November 6, 2012.

2011-2012

Issues

Legislative actions

113th Congress

The second session of the 113th Congress enacted into law 114 out of the 3,036 introduced bills (3.8 percent). Comparatively, the 112th Congress had 4.2 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session.[6] The Senate confirmed 13,949 out of 18,323 executive nominations received (76.1 percent). For more information pertaining to Whitehouse's voting record in the 113th Congress, please see the below sections.[7]

National security

John Brennan CIA nomination

Whitehouse voted for the confirmation of John Brennan as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. The nomination was confirmed by the Senate on March 7, 2013, with a vote of 63 - 34. Most Democrats supported the nomination, while Republicans were somewhat divided with roughly one-third supporting the nomination.[8]

Economy

Government shutdown

During the shutdown in October 2013, the Senate rejected, down party lines, every House-originated bill that stripped the budget of funding for the Affordable Care Act. A deal was reached late on October 16, 2013, just hours before the debt ceiling deadline. The bill to reopen the government, H.R. 2775, lifted the $16.7 trillion debt limit and funds the government through January 15, 2014. Federal employees also received retroactive pay for the shutdown period. The only concession made by Senate Democrats was to require income verification for Obamacare subsidies.[9] The final vote on H.R. 2775 was 81-18, with all 18 votes against the bill from Republican members. Whitehouse voted with the Democratic Party for the bill.[10]

No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013

Whitehouse voted for H.R.325 -- No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013. The bill passed the Senate on January 31, 2013, with a vote of 64 - 34. The purpose of the bill was to temporarily suspended the debt ceiling and withhold the pay of members of Congress until a budget could be passed. The vote largely followed party lines with Democrats overwhelmingly supporting it and many Republicans in opposition to the bill.[8]

2013 Senate Budget Proposal

Whitehouse voted for the 2013 Senate Budget Proposal.[8] On March 23, after an all-night debate that ended just before 5 a.m., by a 50 to 49 vote the Democratically controlled Senate approved its first budget in four years. No Republicans voted for the Senate plan, and four Democrats opposed it. All four are from red states and are up for re-election in 2014. Whitehouse was one of the four Democrats who voted against the budget proposal.[8]

The approved plan is a $3.7 trillion budget for 2014 and would provide a fast track for passage of tax increases, trim spending modestly and leave the government still deeply in the red for the next decade.

The approval of a budget in the Senate began the process of setting up contentious, and potentially fruitless, negotiations with the Republican-controlled House starting in April to reconcile two vastly different plans for dealing with the nation’s economic and budgetary problems.

The House plan would have brought the government’s taxes and spending into balance by 2023 with cuts to domestic spending even below the levels of automatic across-the-board cuts for federal programs now, and it orders up dramatic and controversial changes to Medicare and the tax code.

The Senate plan differed greatly, and included $100 billion in upfront infrastructure spending to bolster the economy and calls for special fast-track rules to overhaul the tax code and raise $975 billion over 10 years in legislation that could not be filibustered. Even with that tax increase and prescribed spending cuts, the plan approved by the Senate would leave the government with a $566 billion annual deficit in 10 years, and $5.2 trillion in additional debt over that window.

Immigration

Mexico-U.S. border

Whitehouse voted against Senate Amendment 1197 -- Requires the Completion of the Fence Along the United States-Mexico Border. The amendment was rejected by the Senate on June 18, 2013, with a vote of 39 - 54. The purpose of the amendment was to require the completion of 350 miles of fence described in the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 before registered provisional immigrant status may be granted. It would also require 700 miles of fence be completed before the status of registered provisional immigrants may be changed to permanent resident status. The vote followed party lines.[8]

Social Issues

Violence Against Women (2013)

Whitehouse voted for S.47 -- Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013. The bill was passed by the Senate on February 12, 2013, with a vote of 78 - 22. The purpose of the bill was to combat violence against women, from domestic violence to international trafficking in persons. All 22 dissenting votes were cast by Republicans.[8]

Previous congressional sessions

Fiscal Cliff

Whitehouse voted for the fiscal cliff compromise bill, which made permanent most of the Bush tax cuts originally passed in 2001 and 2003 while also raising tax rates on the highest income levels. The bill was passed in the Senate by a 89 - 8 vote on January 1, 2013.[11]

Senate Judiciary Committee

Sheldon Whitehouse was first appointed to the Senate Judiciary Committee shortly after he was sworn into the Senate in 2007[12].

Senator Whitehouse is the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Courts. In addition, Senator Whitehouse serves on the Senate Judiciary Subcommittees on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights, The Constitution, Immigration, and Refugees and Border Security[13]

Campaign themes

2012

According to Sheldon Whitehouse's website, his campaign themes included:

Jobs; "...focused on creating Rhode Island's clean energy jobs of the future, and has introduced a bill to end corporate tax breaks companies receive when they ship jobs overseas."

Seniors; "...a co-founder of the Defend Social Security Caucus, he will always fight against attempts to risk Social Security on Wall Street."

Siding with Consumers and Homeowners; "...supporting legislation to give homeowners more leverage to renegotiate mortgages and standing up for consumers victimized when credit card companies raise interest rates through the roof."[14]

Polls

Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Campaign donors

Comprehensive donor information for Whitehouse is available dating back to 2006. Based on available campaign finance records, Whitehouse raised a total of $11,463,221 during that time period. This information was last updated on April 22, 2013.[16]

Breakdown of the source of Whitehouse's campaign funds before the 2012 election.

2012

Whitehouse won election to the U.S. Senate in 2012. During that election cycle, Whithouse's campaign committee raised a total of $4,883,464 and spent $4,933,336.[17] This is less than the average $10.2 million spent by Senate winners in 2012.[18]

Congressional staff salaries

The website Legistorm compiles staff salary information for members of Congress. Whitehouse paid his congressional staff a total of $2,201,382 in 2011. He ranks 6th on the list of the lowest paid Democratic senatorial staff salaries and ranks 22nd overall of the lowest paid senatorial staff salaries in 2011. Overall, Rhode Island ranks 30th in average salary for senatorial staff. The average U.S. Senate congressional staff was paid $2,529,141.70 in fiscal year 2011.[21]

Net worth

Lifetime voting record

According to the website GovTrack, Whitehouse missed 22 of 1,935 roll call votes between January 2007 and April 2014. This amounts to 1.1%, which is better than the median of 1.7% among the lifetime records of senators currently serving as of April 2013.[22]

2011

Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org, Whitehouse's net worth as of 2011 was estimated between $2,948,228 $13,673,998. That averages to $8,311,113.00, which is lower than the average net worth of Democratic senators in 2011 of $20,795,450. His average net worth decreased 6.44% from 2010.[23]

2010

Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org, Whitehouse's net worth as of 2010 was estimated between $3,475,226 and $14,290,999. That averages to $8,883,112.50, which is lower than the average net worth of Democratic senators in 2010 of $19,383,524.[24]

National Journal vote ratings

Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of Congress voted in the previous year. Click the link above for the full ratings of all members of Congress.